JohnC

Beane took over shortly after McDermott was installed as the HC. Based on their actions the intention was to nearly completely rebuild the roster and restructure and rebalance the cap. It is unfair and unreasonable to use the W/L record in the first couple of years in a rebuild to compare to the prior regime that had a more established roster to work with. My biggest criticisms of Whaley relates to securing a franchise qb and his deficiency in building a roster. He had more of a player to player attitude toward roster building than a conceptual approach to building a roster than this current regime adheres to. Whaley was a below average to average GM at best. Under his aegis this team was never going to get beyond being average. With this current tandem of McBeane at least you can see the potential to elevate the franchise beyond the mediocre level.

There is another aspect to the Risto trade issue that isn't often discussed: Does he want to stay? I read an interview where he stated that is tired of the losing and desperately wants to participate in the playoffs. As a Sabre he has never experienced the playoffs, and isn't sure that he will in the near future. That playoff drought continuing on has to wear him (and others) down and make him (and others) receptive to moving on where his prospects would be better. The GM has to be aggressive in adding to the roster going beyond his own prospect pipeline. My worry is that players such as Eichel and Reinhart, and others, will just get so discouraged that they demand a change of scenery. You don't think that ROR is glad that he expressed his disgruntlement that ultimately got him sent to a team that is advancing in the playoffs and also has a legitimate chance at winning the Stanley Cup?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/04/28/nfl-drafts-most-emotional-moment-involved-a-deceased-grandmother-and-an-f-bomb/?utm_term=.5616c263f0bb

If he goes to a team with a good OL he will excel. If he goes to a team with a swiss cheese OL he will struggle. It's not surprising that players with certain attributes will do well if they are in a system with a smart coaching staff that emphasizes a player's strengths and minimizes his liabilities. I watched him play against Maryland. He was fabulous making beautiful throws all over the field.

That black hole that he and a few of his depressing colleagues reside in is so far out there that they are unreachable. They take negativity to levels never seen before. Plezmd1 is an unbridled optimist compared to these cast of characters.

If you don't think that Eichel, Reinhart, Skinner (if he signs), Dahlin, Risto, Montour don't have value then you are residing on the same cloudy planet that 4merper4mer resides in.

What are you suggesting that the owner should do? Fire everyone and start all over again? Do you want all the players to be dealt? What solutions are you offering?

I was open to trading Risto for second-line players. Now I am less so. It's easier to get forwards through trades and free agency than it is to get top two pairing defenseman. My complaint with Risto is that he tends to lose his focus and discipline. He can be easily provoked into losing sight of his responsibilities. Part of the problem is that he plays too many minutes. I'm thinking/hoping that few minutes might translate into few lapses. Next year I seen Pilut and maybe Borgen added to the mix. Compared to a few years ago our defensive corps has been upgraded. That is not to say that there doesn't need more to do with that unit. Some people (K-9) have a scathing view of Scandella. As a third pairing blue line player I have no problem with him.

Although Botterill is much more bland than most when communicating it is understandable why he can't be forthright when discussing how his players and coaches are doing. It wouldn't be very productive for him to say exactly what he is thinking in specific terms when discussing the team. That is not to say that he is communicating his concerns to the appropriate parties in private. Without question Botts is not a scintillating personality or captivating speaker. Those are issues of style compared to issues of substance. What counts is how analytical is he and can he execute his vision of how a team should be constructed. I liked Bogosian's game this year. However, his accumulation of injuries and surgeries has to put his career in jeopardy.

Randy Sexton, the GM of the Amerks, was on WGR talking about the prospects. It is a very optimistic assessment of the players. Patience is the operative word. This is a 15 minute segment. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/04-23-amrerks-general-manager-randy-sexton-howard-and-jeremy

Congratulations! You easily passed the incomparable Plezmd1 with your stupendous negativity. I didn't think anyone could surpass the dour Plezmd1 with his Himalayan mountain amount of negativism. You easily climbed that mountain without even using a safety rope. You are a natural. Again, congratulations on your crown achievement. ?

Any GM who makes such an important coaching decision based on what the fans and media think should be summarily fired. If the GM believes that the AHL coach is the best coach for his NHL team then he should be hired. If he doesn't then he shouldn't be hired for the position. I don't know who eventually is going to be hired. What the GM is probably going to do is wait for the playoffs to finish and then evaluate the larger pool of candidates. Whoever he believes is the best coaching fit for his roster is the coach he should hire. The opinions of the very often dopey and zany fans should be the least of his concerns. And the same zero consideration should be given to the media.

Metcalf is more of a superlative athlete than a football player. He wasn't even the most productive receiver on his own team. If the Bills wanted to use their first round pick on a receiver I would prefer Hockinson who not only is a receiving threat but also is a good blocker. Metcalf has a very limited route tree. I would rather use a second round pick on a receiver who is more adept at running routes and getting open.

The below link is a WGR interview with Paul Hamilton. He talked about the AHL playoffs and some of the Amerk players. This is a 14 min. segment. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/04-22-paul-hamilton-howard-and-jeremy

I see him being useful as an outlet receiver. Yeldon in open space is a big threat. What I want to see from Josh Allen is less running when the play doesn't materialize and instead he using his outlets. The less hits the qb takes the more he will be on the field.

The Stafford's are fortunate to have the right surgeon doing the operation. There was a unique abnormality that he has written a research paper on. These doctor's are amazing, the best of the best.

Bill, What happened to him? I thought he was going to be a good pro back. Now it seems that he is primarily a specialty receiving back? That is not to say that his receiving talents can't be used but from what has been described he lacks all around ability to be a full fledged primary or second back. I still like this picjup.

At that point his pistol was shooting blanks.

McDermott made the draft decisions in that draft. Whaley established the board and then was neutered when the picks were made. After the draft all the scouts were dispatched.

I'm confident that Skinner will re-sign. If he decides not to then so be it. You then move on and use his cap allotment for other players. That's how the hockey business model works. Did the Islanders franchise collapse when Taveres signed with Toronto? Will the Columbus franchise fold if Panerin decides to go to Florida? You can't control what a player wants to do when he is a free agent. I don't believe that the Sabres are five years away from being a serious team. I'm counting on Botts to make some deals and bring in a few impactful players to bolster the roster. The Sabres are in a good cap position compared to a number of teams that are cap stressed and won't be able to retain some very good players. I believe that if Botts wisely handles his business this offseason and next this team should move up the ranks. What Colorado demonstrates is that developing your own players and wisely augmenting them you can get back into contention. The Sabres have a young core and are adding to it. The lesson that the Sabres illustrate is that if you consistently don't make prudent decisions you end up sabotaging your efforts to move up the ranks.

Mittelstadt, Nylander, Borgen, Pilut, Tage, Olofsson and goalie Lukinlu (sic) are young emerging talents. Pilut and Olafsson are a little older and you can see that they are more ready physically and polished as players to play in the NHL. These players are worth waiting for. Dahlin is clearly in a separate category by himself. Even with him there is still a tremendous growth upside. When you are playing a rugged man's game physically maturity is essential. As demonstrated by Reinhart the body will catch up with the talent if allowed to. If you add the listed youngster to the core of Eichel, Skinner, Reinhart and Montour you can see an expanding core. The arrival to the destination requires patience. There is no other way.

Gary is an impressive physical talent. When he turns it on his sparkling talent is evident. However, his fellow lineman, Chase Winovich, gave more consistent effort. Winovich is a McDermott type of guy. I wouldn't mind seeing him taken in the second or third round if he was still on the board.

Thank you for your work. It's obvious that you put in a lot of time and effort into it. I'm hoping that Ed Oliver, if available, turns out to be our first pick. I find that the second and third round picks are going to be more intriguing than the first selection. Our offseason free agent activity allowed the Bills to enter the draft with a lot of flexibility and options.

Thanks for the info. What are the prospects for One Seneca Tower? The developer , Douglas Jemal, is a can do developer who has had many projects in restoring old buildings in DC. He has taken on a gargantuan project and will do this sizable project in stages. He has a lot of credibility in getting his challenging projects completed.

If the tape was impermissibly installed it couldn't be used in his case. There are plenty of crimes that are committed that are dismissed or don't result in a conviction for a lot of legal (technical) reasons. The bigger criminal justice concern revolved around human trafficking. A serious crime. That case didn't materialize. The ancillary issue regarding paid for stimulating massaging on a 77 yr old widower is a low grade violation. This case should be dropped because it is not worthy of the time and effort of the public authorities.